Craving classic comfort food with a gourmet twist? If you answered yes, then our Grilled Ham and Cheese Sandwich with Spicy Mayo has got you covered. A twist on the classic ham sandwich, today’s recipe features savory ham, melted provolone, and caramelized onions layered between thick sliced Italian bread. Grilled to golden perfection, and dolloped with a spoonful of spicy mayo, this is comfort at its decadent best.

Now, I know what you’re thinking – that comfort food isn’t comforting at all if you need to stress about the prep process. And I couldn’t agree more. Today’s sandwich keeps things blissfully simple, achieving its golden gorgeousness with easy-to-find, affordable ingredients and a simple prep process. Once you've tried this sandwich, which is similar to but not quite a ham and cheese toastie, I promise you'll never look at ham and cheese sandwiches the same.

So, whether you're looking for a quick and satisfying weeknight dinner or a delicious twist on your weekend brunch routine, our Grilled Ham and Cheese Sandwich is sure to hit the spot. Follow along and I’ll walk you through each step of the recipe, sharing tips and tricks and an ingredient checklist to ensure your sandwich turns out perfect every time.

Now, enough with the introduction, let’s make a luxurious ham sandwich.

Recipe Overview – What to Expect

Okay, so with the introductions out of the way, what can you ‘really’ expect from today’s ham sandwich recipe? What is this simple sandwich like in terms of taste and texture? How hard is it to make? And what’s the prep process like?

For the answer to those questions and more on this grilled ham and cheese sandwich, read on.

Taste and Texture: If you follow the instructions to the dot, this Grilled Ham and Cheese sandwich will feature a crisp and golden exterior, with a luxurious interior of gooey cheese and hot ham, combining to create a luscious contrast in textures. In terms of flavor, this recipe’s combination of grilled ham, melted provolone cheese, caramelized onions, and spicy mayo, creates layers of sweet, spicy, and savory goodness.
Difficulty Level: Yes, this recipe involves a few more steps than a typical sandwich, but I promise that it remains simple. The most challenging part of the process is likely caramelizing the onions and grilling the sandwich, but even so, this recipe remains accessible even for beginner home cooks. Yes, it takes a little time and patience, but it is by no means hard to make.
Preparation Process: Very similar to preparing a croque monsieur or a gourmet grilled cheese. As mentioned above, this sandwich does involve a few extra steps. The prep process starts off with grilling the onions until golden and soft and then combining them with honey, apple cider vinegar, and black pepper. This creates the caramelized onion topping for the ham. Next, we assemble the sandwich with ham, cheese, and caramelized onions, and then grill the sandwich with butter (preferably in a cast iron pan) until crisp and golden. Finally, we whip up the spicy mayo dip, and we’re done. Yes, the mayo dip can indeed be made beforehand if you prefer to spoon the mayo into the sandwich itself rather than using it as a dip.
Pairings: This sandwich pairs deliciously with a variety of sides. A leafy green salad, sweet potato fries, or even a cup of bisque would all pair deliciously. Naturally, simpler sides also work well, such as chips or coleslaw.

Ingredient Checklist – Everything You’ll Need

This grilled ham and cheese sandwich recipe features only simple, easy to find, affordable ingredients. Here’s a checklist of everything you’ll need to take your ham sandwiches to the next level.

Thick slices of bread
- Note: The ideal choice is sturdy, crusty bread that will hold up through grilling. I’m using thick sliced Italian bread.
- Substitutions: Any sturdy bread will work. Think hardy whole wheat, sourdough bread, ciabatta, or French bread. Bread with a nice thick crust works the best. Hardy English muffins might also work.
Deli Ham
- Note: The best ham for this sandwich is whatever happens to be your favorite type of deli ham. Thick sliced or thin sliced ham is purely preference as both will work.
- Tip: I would caution against salty ham or overly sweet ham, but again this is purely a matter of preference. If you’ve got leftover spiral ham, that would be absolutely delicious.
- Substitution: Yes, you can substitute with turkey, roast beef, or vegan alternatives if preferred.
Sliced Provolone cheese
- Note: I’m using provolone because I think it works best with the ham when grilled. However, any melty cheese will work nicely.
- Tip: I do find cheeses with a nutty flavor, such as provolone or Jarlsberg, are best for sandwiches like these. But again, if the cheese melts nicely, you’re good.
- Substitutions: Feel free to swap in other cheeses like cheddar, Swiss cheese, red Leicester, pepper jack, or mozzarella cheese. Jarlsberg would also work very nicely.
- Pro Tip: If you’re feeling particularly adventurous, consider assembling a luxurious group of cheeses and combine your favorites. Think of pairing Monterey jack or aged cheddar cheese with alpine cheese, or the creamy elegance of Havarti.
2 or 3 onions - grilled
- Note: I find that red or yellow onions work well.
- Tip: While you can layer the onions on raw, caramelizing the onions adds sweetness and depth of flavor, which melds beautifully with the ham.
Butter - for grilling
- Note: Everything’s better with butter. We’re using butter to grill the sandwich to help achieve a crispy, golden exterior.
- Tip: I’ll be real and admit that while you ‘can’ use alternatives like olive oil or vegetable oil for grilling, I think that butter works best in this instance.

For the Grilled Onions:

3/4 tsp. salt - for dusting the onions
- Note: The salt here isn’t just about flavor. It works to draw out moisture from the onions during grilling, aiding the caramelization process.
1 tsp. sugar - for dusting the onions
- Note: We need sugar to help caramelize and sweeten the onions.
1 tbs. honey
- Note: Completely optional, but I find that a drizzle of honey works to balance the onions, while also adding sweetness.
- Substitutions: You can experiment with maple syrup, molasses, or brown sugar. All work great in caramelized onions, especially in recipes using ham, such as today’s sandwich.
2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
- Note: Purely for acidity to help brighten the onions.
- Substitutions: Yes, your preferred vinegar works just fine here. Keeping it simple with rice vinegar? Perfect. Getting fancy with champagne vinegar? Also perfect. It’s just for acidity.
1/2 tsp. coarse ground black pepper
- Note: As always, freshly ground has the best aromatics, but pre-ground works just fine.

For the Mayo Dip:

1/2 cup mayonnaise
- Note: Mayo provides the base of the dip.
- Tip: I strongly recommend using full fat, real mayonnaise for this recipe, as we want maximal creaminess. Full fat mayo also resists ‘liquefying’ when it comes into contact with warm ingredients the way reduced or zero fat does.
2 tbs. chili garlic sauce
- Note: Chili paste, chili crisp, or gochujang all work here.
- Tip: I’m using a regular sambal chili paste for this recipe.
1 tbs. apple cider vinegar
- Note: Once again, purely for acidity.
- Substitution: Any vinegar will do, you can also experiment with fresh lemon juice if preferred.
2 tbs. honey
- Note: As above, honey is optional here, but I find it provides balance.
1/2 tsp. coarse black pepper
- Note: For the dip, I do strongly recommend using fresh ground pepper for the enhanced aromatics. However, pre-ground works fine.

Tips for Making this Sandwich – Getting it Right

Okay, now that you’ve got all your ingredients, here are my top tips for making this – or any – grilled sandwich, perfect every time.

Choose the Right Bread: I cannot stress enough how important it is to opt for thick-sliced, crusty bread that will hold up not only through the grilling process, but also to the fillings without becoming soggy. Sourdough, French bread, ciabatta, or thick whole wheat should all work well.
Layer the Ingredients Evenly: This often gets overlooked, but distributing the ingredients evenly across the bread not only helps to ensure that each bite is packed with deliciousness, but it also helps for even grilling, and helps to prevent the sandwich from falling apart.
Use the Right Ingredients: That means opting for full-fat mayo, fresh onions, and the right cheese (those that melt well and complement the ham).
Grill the Onions: Caramelizing the onions is key to this recipe, so take your time grilling the onions until they are soft and well caramelized. The onions are a key ingredient.
Butter Both Sides of the Bread: Be sure that both sides of the sandwich are buttered before grilling to ensure that the bread crisps and becomes golden. Don’t rely on the butter left in the pan after grilling one side or slice of bread.
Press the Sandwich While Grilling: Personally, I use a heavy pan to press the sandwich down while grilling. Yes, this is absolutely a necessary step. If you have a panini maker, this is where to use it.
Monitor the Heat Levels: Medium-high heat is what we’re looking for, but do keep an eye on things to prevent the bread from burning. The bread can quickly go from golden brown perfection to burnt and hard. Not fun.
The Spicy Mayo Dip: Okay, this is one is kind of specific to this specific sandwich, but the spicy mayo dip really is my favorite part of this recipe. That said, if you’re feeling fancy you can swap out the spicy mayo dip with a proper béchamel sauce.
Let it Rest Before Serving: Allow the sandwich to rest for a few minutes before slicing. This resting period allows the cheese to set slightly, which in turn helps to prevent the fillings from oozing out when cut.

Grilled Ham and Cheese Sandwich

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5 from 12 reviews

Author: Living the Gourmet
Total Time: 30 minutes

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Description

A twist on the classic ham sandwich, today’s recipe features savory ham, melted provolone, and caramelized onions layered between thick sliced Italian bread. Grilled to golden perfection, and dolloped with a spoonful of spicy mayo, this is comfort at its decadent best.

Ingredients

Units Scale

Thick sliced bread
Deli Ham
Sliced Provolone cheese
2 or 3 onions, grilled
Butter, for grilling

For the Grilled Onions:

3/4 tsp. salt, for dusting the onions
1 tsp. sugar, for dusting the onions
1 tbs. honey
2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. coarse ground black pepper

For the Mayo Dip:

1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tbs. chili garlic sauce
1 tbs. apple cider vinegar
2 tbs. honey
1/2 tsp. coarse black pepper

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Instructions

For the Mayo Dip:

Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl and mix. Taste for seasoning. Set aside.

For the Grilled Onions:

Slice the onions very thin.
Heat a large cast iron pan. Place the onions in the heated pan and sprinkle with the salt and sugar.
Allow the onions to get a nice golden color and become very soft.
Place the onions in a small bowl add the apple cider vinegar, black pepper, and honey, and toss. Set aside.

Building the Sandwich:

Place about 2 slices of cheese and ham on each slice of bread.
Place the onions on one side of the bread and then close the sandwich.
Heat a large cast iron frying pan.
Place a few pats of butter on one side of the closed sandwich and place in the heated pan.
Cover the sandwich with another heavy pan to press the sandwich down. Let the sandwich grill for about 3 minutes until golden.
Place butter pats on the ungrilled side and carefully turn the sandwich over to grill; place a heavy pan on top of the sandwich once again.
Finish grilling for about 3 minutes.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

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And that’s our Grilled Ham and Cheese Sandwich. If you enjoyed today’s recipe, or have any questions or suggestions, be sure to let us know in the comments below. We always love hearing from you!

Happy Grilling!

Grilled Ham and Cheese Sandwich Recipe - Best Ever

Recipe Overview – What to Expect